Shirley Anne’s Heart

Dear Jane Quilt (Progress Report)

I am really having fun making these Dear Jane blocks and I love the names that have been given to them.  Here is my A8  Florence Nightingale

- one more done and 50,000 more to go.  :)  Not really, it just seems like it!

First - my red and white A8 practice block -

and then the real block….LOL

This isn’t a great picture - but it is of my FIRST BORDER TRIANGLE BLOCK - BR1 Rosemary’s Window  (the red and white is the practice block.)  I think paper piecing is a lot of fun!

I have learned to scan my blocks and put them into the EQ Dear Jane Project Chart - too much fun!  I now have 8 blocks finished (times 2 so that makes a total of 16 Dear Jane blocks!)

EGG MONEY QUILT

The first EGG MONEY QUILT (Eleanor Burns) class is the 20th (taught by Susan at QUILTER’S CORNER.)  I am really looking forward to it: however, I just realized that I am going to miss the SECOND CLASS because I will be in CALIFORNIA.  So today I went ahead and made block # 3 - TURKEY TRACKS that will be part of the 2nd class.  I love these 30’s fabrics…….and this was a new experience to make Y seams!  I am so happy that I got this made….it wasn’t that difficult…..and my little points all seemed to come together as planned in the middle! 

ORANGE CRUSH MYSTERY QUILT QUILTED

I picked up my Bonnie Hunter Orange Crush Mystery Quilt from my long arm quilter, Sara Parrish, today!  I love it.  She did a fabulous job and I took her picture - but her eyes were closed - so I am not going to put her picture up here.   Here is my OC on the rack just waiting for me to pick it up!

HERE IS THE BACK OF THE OC - it is ready for the orange binding!  I really am starting to like this scrappy back!

GPS TECHNOLOGY

For years I have been getting lost and for years I have been calling my daughter to FIND ME while I am lost.  NOT ANYMORE.  I got a GPS - a GARMIN NUVI and oh is this ever fun.  I can watch myself driving along the road on the little screen - just like a video game.  When I stop - the little car on the screen stops.  It is just amazing.  When I make a mistake it recalculates and tells me how to get myself out of my “STATE OF LOSTNESS.”  I LOVE IT.  I really do.  It is pretty amazing that his little screen can TALK TO YOU and tell you you have .2 more miles to your next turn, etc.   I will never be lost again…..hopefully!  :):) 

THE GPS IS NOW ON MY LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS!

Tags: Dear Jane Quilt, EGG MONEY QUILT, My Favorite Things, Orange Crush Quilt, Quilts in Progress, TECHNOLOGY by drsao
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DEAR JANE

So far I have made six blocks for my Dear Jane Quilt…..but when you consider that I am making TWO DEAR JANE QUILTS at once I have made twelve blocks.  The RED AND WHITE Dear Jane represents my PRACTICE blocks.  I make the red and white blocks first before I make the REAL blocks in the civil war repro fabrics.  The IRONY of it all is that my RED AND WHITE BLOCKS always turn out to look better than the real deal.  I can’t really figure out why either……..maybe I will get better with time.  This is my first attempt at needle turn applique and I am woefully “UNSKILLED” at this….I can’t believe I am even putting pictures up! 

First is A-7 Dad’s Plaids

And second is E-1 Aunt Exie’s Phlox.  I love the names of the blocks.

Quilter’s Corners Quilt

To cheer myself up and convince myself that I am not a total QUILTING DORK - I made the July Block of the Quilter’s Corners Block of the Month Quilt.  Whew, that made me feel better!

And since I needed A LOT of CHEERING UP after those Dear Jane blocks, I made my second July BOM a different way…..

 I don’t like to follow directions so I just had to make my second block MY OWN WAY….LOL.

AUGUST LOG CABIN ONLINE EXCHANGE BLOCKS

And since I needed to be SERIOUSLY cheered up after making those DEAR JANE blocks I made my 12 AUGUST blocks for the online decentralized log cabin block online swap exchange. 

I felt much better!

HEAT BUDDIES - HEAT SWEET

Yesterday I made my mother’s birthday present - it took me ALL DAY.  I used her favorite color - orange - and I think she will like it.  I used 8 layers of fabric and stuffed it with rice and cinnamon.  So all she has to do is stick it in the microwave - and voila - a Heat Sweet!

The 8 layers include 4 layers of 100% cotton - 2 layers of cotton batting and 2 layers of cotton t-shirt material.  That should be ample protection from HOT RICE! 

Her second HEAT SWEET HEAT BUDDY is LARGER - and it is pieced and channel quilted - it is actually a quilt disguised as a HEAT BUDDY ( the quilting is probably why it took me all day to make these two!) 

 I had to make TWO because I figured she might want to share with my daddy.

The back is exactly like the front.

OH DEAR - my mother reads my blog - so there goes the birthday surprise.  Oh well, she is a good actress, she can just PRETEND to be surprised on her birthday July 30!

Tags: Dear Jane Quilt, Decentralized LOG CABIN, Heat Buddy, Quilt Block Exchange, Quilted Pillow, Quilts Completed in 2008, Quilts in Progress by drsao
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I like it when a new month starts - it is almost as good as New Year’s Day - I get to turn the page on the calendar and start my new monthly TO DO LIST - carefully including all of the things on the list that I have already accomplished TODAY so that I can start by crossing things off….ah, the thrill of accomplishment….:):)

I mailed my JULY Log Cabin Blocks - check -

I washed my car - check -

I went to the bank - check

and then it was time for some real fun - quilting!

Fred’s Boxy Stars

I have now made NINE blocks of Bonnie Hunter’s BOXY STARS Quilt - and a number of other Bonnie fans started making this quilt today too.  This is our “IN BETWEEN MYSTERY QUILTS” online project! 

My brother specifically requested brown, gray and blue for his quilt -

so I am doing my best to make it in the colors that he wants - and hopefully it will look good in the end!

Cuddles Helps Me Search Through Stash

I had fun searching for fabric- and of course, Cuddles had to help!

COLONIAL PIECEMAKERS QUILT GUILD - BONNIE HUNTER (STAR STRUCK)

I am SO EXCITED…..I am enrolled in a class AUGUST 2 in Williamsburg, VA taught by BONNIE K. HUNTER herself!  We are going to make the STAR STRUCK quilt - so I had to search for some scrappy fabric.  Bonnie wants us to come to class with our strips cut - so I had lots of fun looking for possibilities. 

I joined the COLONIAL PIECEMAKERS QUILT GUILD (Williamsburg, VA.)  

They are sponsoring this class to be taught by Bonnie and Patsy put in a good word for me - and they let me in - WHOO HOOO!  July is starting out great!

COUNTRY PIECEMAKERS QUILT GUILD - POWHATAN, VA

AND THAT’S NOT ALL……I also joined the COUNTRY PIECEMAKERS QUILT GUILD in Powhatan, VA.  Goodness, in June I did not belong to any quilt guild and in July I have joined two!  I will be making CIRCLES AND MELONS (a class taught by Patsy) at the guild meeting and workshop on July 12.  This will be so much fun.  I hope sewing curves won’t be too hard…..and speaking of curves…..I think I need help!

Dear Jane - B-11 Melissa’s Cross

I think I need lots of help…….I made Melissa’s Cross (the red and white fabric is my PRACTICE BLOCK.)  Yikes - this was my first difficult block.  How could a 4 1/2″ block take so long to make!??  This Dear Jane Quilt is going to be a symbol of blood, sweat, and tears - and I don’t mean that figuratively.  I enjoy a challenge though!

I made the REAL BLOCK out of my Civil War Repro fabric……and together these two blocks took FIVE HOURS……and the SAD thing is that they really  don’t look that great!

Now I understand what people mean when they say

“AT LEAST IT IS FINISHED!”

I had a lot of trouble with the 2nd block - I have no idea why because I had already practiced - but for some reason I had to RESEW one of the seams 6 times and I finally just gave up and left it AS IS!

Well, this is it - with all of its imperfections!

To cheer myself up I ate an ENTIRE PAPAYA - and that did the trick!  I am happy again.

July has been a good month - so far! 

Tags: Cats and Dogs Furry People, Dear Jane Quilt, Fred's BOXY STARS, Furry People, Star Struck Quilt by drsao
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What a title for this blog entry…..but I guess I have a lot to share. 

I have been having LOTS OF FUN….Saturday, May 17, has been a very good day.

DEAR JANE QUILT

We had our first DEAR JANE  QUILT SUPPORT GROUP (uhm…I think we are calling it a CLUB) meeting at Quilter’s Corner May 15.  It is going to be lots of fun.  I am motivated and in love with all of these tiny blocks.  It was fun to see what other people had done…….my friend Sheddy had made some VERY IMPRESSIVE BLOCKS (a TOTAL OF twenty!!) including a block with a star with points so small that I cannot even imagine how she did that! 

Here is what I have done so far…. and BTW I also got motivated to put my PRACTICE blocks (RED AND WHITE) into plastic sleeves!  Now I just need to find a very cute CIVIL WAR type of notebook to put the plastic sheets into!

So left to right….A-6 Uncle Homer, I-1 Ralph and Nelda’s Wedding and 1-2 Kaye’s Courtyard

(I love the names of these blocks!)

And here are the REAL ONES…

A-6 Uncle Homer

1-1 Ralph and Nelda’s Wedding

and I-2 Kaye’s Courtyard

The CLUB members are PREDICTING that I will stop making practice blocks after awhile…..HM…..stay tuned and we shall see…..:)  I think that I will end up with TWO Dear Jane Quilts - the REAL one and my PRACTICE red and white one!

BEACH RETREAT QUILT

MY BEACH RETREAT QUILT IS FINISHED.  :)  I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to cross a UFO off my TO DO LIST!!!  I went to an all day SIT N STITCH Friday at the Quilter’s Corner and I finished putting the binding on my BEACH RETREAT QUILT (designed by Susan Emory and I think she has a few kits left for sale at the QC!)  Cuddles TINKERBELLE (our baby cat) promptly perched on the quilt - giving it her stamp of approval. 

There is something about yellow and blue that is just absolutely comforting - dreamy!!  Cuddles TINKERBELLE does not want to give up her position on the new quilt! 

Cats are just DELIGHTFUL WONDERFUL furry people.  They are so affirming and giving.  I bet that I would get an UNCONDITIONAL DISPLAY of LOVE for a less than beautiful quilt (hopefully I will never get a chance to test that theory!)

BROWNIES

And now - my PROUDEST MOMENT on my list of today’s accomplishments is that I SEWED ALL OF THE PATCHES ON GRANDANGEL SARAH’S BROWNIE VEST……and just in the nick of time (she becomes a GIRL SCOUT ON May 27.)

I love Sarah, I love the Brownies and I used to be one!  HOWEVER, sewing those patches on is sheer torture and has to be included on my LIST OF NOT SO FAVORITE THINGS.  So count the number of patches on this vest and multiply each of the patches times about 8 or 9 and you will know how many HOLES are in my fingers! 

Now - if someone out there would like to win the favor, admiration and LOVE of mothers and grandmothers of BROWNIES, GIRL SCOUTS and BOY SCOUTS around the world……please invent a way to get these VERY THICK - HARD TO GET A NEEDLE THROUGH patches onto vests or sashes WITHOUT SEWING! 

COFFEE AND TEA

I really had fun tonight - I tea dyed some white fabric blocks - LIPTON regular tea - 3 bags!  I have been dying (:)) to do this for the longest time and as a reward for getting the BROWNIE PATCHES SEWN ON…..I took a tea dyeing break.

Here are my 8 blocks hanging up to dry on my ironing board.  I am very happy with them - I think they will go into my SPLIT NINE-PATCH ONLINE SWAP BLOCKS!

And since I was having TOO MUCH FUN I decided to dye some white blocks using COFFEE mixed with my daughter, Christi’s,  LIQUID INTERNATIONAL BRAND FRENCH VANILLA CREAMER (I drink my coffee black - so I had to use hers!)  The blocks turned out to be really CUTE - a nice soft creamy color.  This activity really made me smile - and the blocks smell nice too!  I mean they smell - REALLY - REALLY - good!  Maybe it was the combination of that MAJOR DICKINSON PEET’S COFFE combined with the FRENCH VANILLA…….I think someone should invent a potpourri from this combination!

SARAH’S FIRST CAT QUILT

Sarah - my 8 year old grandangel - told me that FOR SOME REASON - SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHY - she had an urge to make a quilt.  WHOO HOO….I was so excited!  I can’t even tell you HOW excited I was.  SHE WANTED TO MAKE A CAT QUILT for her Webkinz animals.  She said she wanted it to be very wide so that several of her WEBKINZ friends could snuggle under it together.

I gave her some 3 1/2″ square white blocks ironed onto freezer paper and Sarah climbed up on my bed and began to draw some of her favorite  cats on the  white blocks.  (Patsy - thank you SO MUCH for the DONATED GIFT of those white blocks that you gave me on Saturday!!!!!)

Then I pulled out my 50 EXTRA four patches of 2″ squares (thank you Bonnie Hunter) and let Sarah choose some for her quilt….she alternated Cat Blocks with four-patches and she pinned the blocks onto paper making sure that the darks and the lights were all lined up the way that she liked!

I let Sarah use my Brother DUETTA sewing machine (MY DREAM MACHINE) - she thought it was a little scarry trying to keep the quarter inch seam straight - but I put on the walking foot and she liked the way it WALKED along over the seams!  (You can tell she is tense - look at her pursed lips!)

I let Sarah press her seams using a pressing cloth (I didn’t want her to scorch her first quilt!)  She REALLY enjoyed the pinning, the sewing and the pressing!!

Sarah EVER SO CAREFULLY sewed all of the blocks together and then she chose  a 2 1/2″ border from some leftover binding that I had!  This is how far we got at bedtime.

I am going to have her sandwich the batting and the back and do the quilting on the machine (let’s just HOPE that I can remember what I learned in my MACHINE QUILTING CLASS!) 

This was a VERY GOOD DAY………I love doing NEW THINGS (dyeing material) and MAKING MEMORIES (Sarah’s First Cat Quilt) and I also LOVE crossing things off my TO DO LIST - so I guess that means I enjoyed sewing on the BROWNIE PATCHES TOO?

Tags: Beach Retreat Quilt, Dear Jane Quilt, My NOT so Favorite Things, SAO's Grandangels, Sarah's First Cat Quilt by drsao
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I was inspired to make a DEAR JANE (Baby Jane) CIVIL WAR QUILT by the quilters on my recent Wakefield, VA retreat.  Some people call our reproduction quilts BABY JANE QUILTS, reserving the title of DEAR JANE for the original quilt made by Jane in 1863. 

I have been reading all about young Jane who made this quilt during the CIVIL WAR out of the tiniest scraps of material imaginable.  The finished quilt has over 5,000 pieces.  To read about this, check out www.dearjane.com.  It is absolutely fascinating!  Who would have ever imagined that young Jane’s quilt (made in 1863) would be replicated by women so many years later.  There is something about this quilt that elicits awe and wonder.  I am sure young Jane never dreamed that something like this would happen.  (It is a sobering thought, isn’t it - just think, something that YOU are doing right now could someday become interesting to THOUSANDS of folks.)

On April 12, 2008  my historical journey began - my journey through the making of a Civil War DEAR JANE Quilt reproduction.  I was ready - with the TO DIE FOR background fabric, Civil War Reproduction fat quaters, the book, the software, the courage - and the special rulers.    I said, “Self, this is going to be a GOOD trip!”  Hopefully others will join me on this journey!

Susan, at the QUILTERS CORNER is considering a DEAR JANE CLUB.  Check the Quilter’s Corner Website in my blogroll for date and time (right now it is set for Wednesday, May 15, at 6 pm.)

Here are my Civil War Repro fat quarters- with the background fabric -that I picked out at the QUILTER’S CORNER April 12.

I must say that this is a new experience - there are diagrams for what the blocks are supposed to look like - but no rotary cutting instructions.  I have become a bit attached to those instructions! 

OK, no problem.  I CAN DO THIS.  I decided to choose the easiest block that I could find for my initiation into the Dear Jane journey - and A6 Uncle Homer’s block was my choice.

I have been told NOT to make ALL OF THE EASY ONES FIRST - but I think it is OK this time, given that it is my VERY FIRST BLOCK!

Moving right along, I measured the size of the block pieces and added 1/4 inch seam allowances.  I was still feeling a bit like a novice, and because I LOVE my fabric - both the Civil War repros and the background - I decided to make a little practice block….

I carefully selected the fabric (LOVE RED AND WHITE)

…carefully looked at the diagram

….. carefully printed the A6 Uncle Homer page from my EQ program

……then I held my breath and carefully, cut, and sewed

(ever so straight scant 1/4 inch seams!)

 Here it is - a perfect 5″ square and ever so cute.  Time to breathe again!